Viewers will get treated to a tradition when the Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night: The Chiefs’ banging of the drums.
The tradition began in 1960, during the time the franchise was introduced. It’s the first sound of entertainment that ignites the Chiefs Kingdom. On occasion, the Chiefs will welcome back a franchise legend to bang the drums.
But on Thursday Night Football, it’ll be a different one of Kansas City’s stars who will energize the fan base. And this athlete hails from a team familiar to Patrick Mahomes.
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Who is Banging the Drum Before the Chiefs and Broncos Face Off? A Soccer Star
Per The Kansas City Star on Wednesday, Cece Kizer will have the honor of pounding the drums before the AFC West showdown.
She’s best known for her play on the soccer field for the Kansas City Current of the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League), which is co-owned by Mahomes and his wife Brittany.
MORE: Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart
Kizer goes by the nickname “Cash Money Kizer” for her knack for scoring the game-winning goal, which she developed during her time with Racing Louisville in 2022.
“It’s a huge honor,” Kizer said to The Star. “There’s a lot of great people that have done it, and it’s a huge honor that I get to be up there.”
Does Kizer Have Ties to K.C.?
The soccer star is a native of Overland Park, Kansas.
That means she grew up almost 20 minutes south of Arrowhead Stadium.
She is a noted football fan who cheers on the Chiefs. She even once did the famed Johnny Manziel money celebration after scoring in a game.
Kizer, 26, went on to play collegiately at Ole Miss from 2015 to 2018. She was originally drafted by the Houston Dash in the 2019 NWSL College Draft, but then she wound up on the Louisville franchise during the expansion draft. She was acquired by the Current via trade.
She has also played internationally in Norway. So far this season, the Chiefs have allowed former backup quarterback Chad Henne and Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang to bang the drums for the Chiefs’ past two home contests.
